PEI

Can I grow a Japanese zelkova on P.E.I.? Check out this app

If you have a spot for a new tree on your property, the government of Canada has an app for you.

My Tree app allows a search of 186 tree species

The Japanese zelkova can be grown on P.E.I., and turns a brilliant orange in autumn. (Shutterstock)

If you have a spot for a new tree on your property, the government of Canada has an app for you.

My Tree, from Natural Resources Canada, allows gardeners and landscapers to search through 186 different tree species — 94 of them native to Canada — to find just the right tree for just the right location.

Ken Farr, a tree specialist with Natural Resources Canada, hopes the app will prompt urban gardeners to plant a wider variety of species.

"There have been problems with choosing one tree that does well in urban areas, to the extent that it almost becomes a monoculture," said Farr.

With the My Tree app, you can search for trees that will grow in the P.E.I. climate, and filter for other desirable qualities, like different fall colours or native trees.

Farr said with climate change it is easier to grow a range of trees on the Island that would have needed a sheltered location previously.

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With files from Island Morning